In a related matter, Lee was asked by the Journal if it was a conflict of interest for him to remain on the Chamber's eight-member search committee charged with finding a successor to outgoing Chamber CEO and President Don Beaver, who is expected to leave by Thanksgiving. Lee, who was appointed to the search committee by Chamber Chair Rob Garcia, told the Journal on Thursday that he did not know; however, on Friday he said he would officially resign from the search committee on Tuesday and notify Garcia this weekend.
"Before, I thought it could actually be a good thing for the county if I had a voice in who was going to be hired and who I thought would serve Cobb County's best interests, but I realize now it could be perceived that I may try to influence hiring someone that might favor (the transfer) or something like that and that is not my intention at all. It has never been my intention to unfairly influence this. If there's any hint at all that may give people the wrong idea, then it's best that I am just not a part of it," Lee said.
Some speculate that Chamber officials seek a takeover of the economic development department, which has a budget of $352,000, and the Cobb County Convention & Visitors Bureau, which receives approximately $1 million in hotel/motel tax revenue each year.
In an interview with the Journal on Thursday, Lee said Olens initiated discussions with Chamber officials about possibly outsourcing Cobb's economic development department to the Chamber. Meantime, Lee asked the Chamber to look into possibly moving the CCCVB to the Chamber, Lee said.
Olens said he first approached County Manager David Hankerson last fall about the possible outsourcing, which he said would save the county $100,000. However, Hankerson earlier this week told the Journal that he had first learned of the proposal in February, when Beaver invited him to a lunch at the Chamber with Lee and Garcia.
After his discussion with Hankerson, Olens said he went to each commissioner to discuss the outsourcing and they all agreed it would be a good idea to look into it. Olens said Lee asked if he could take the lead on the initiative because of his interest in economic development, to which Olens agreed. Olens then approached Beaver and Garcia, and they agreed to look into the proposal, he said.
While Commissioners Bob Ott and Woody Thompson acknowledge that the proposal was briefly brought up last fall, they did not know that in September and October of '09 e-mails were being sent, meetings were held and Memorandums of Understanding were drafted. Documents and e-mails show Lee, Olens, Garcia, Beaver and Chamber board member David Connell were also apprised of potential funding and management requirements during that time, though unknown to other commissioners and the county manager.
Olens acknowledged that he never shared documents or memorandums drafted by Chamber officials with Commissioners Helen Goreham, Thompson or Ott, but only because the documents were never given his approval.
"If it doesn't have my consent, I'm not going to show it to them because I'm not going to recommend it. Why would I show them something I didn't agree with?" Olens said.
Hankerson, Ott and Thompson said the first real discussion about the outsourcing happened just days before the commissioners' March 23, 5-0 vote to examine the logistics of it.
Regarding that vote, Olens claimed it was just a preliminary vote and said no final decision was made.
However, Garcia apparently had a different interpretation. During a speech before the Rotary Club of Marietta on May 12, Garcia said it was a done deal.
"Our goal is to create a world-class economic development organization and the county agrees. A couple of weeks ago they voted to go ahead and consolidate the county's economic development effort with the Chamber of Commerce under dual management."
Lee said Garcia "misspoke."
Olens reiterated that any plan would have to go before the board for final approval.
Olens, who supports the outsourcing, said Cobb is the only county in the region that does not operate a dual economic development department with its Chamber. The department was operated by the Chamber prior to its move to the county building in 1993.
"It is constantly causing confusion in the state, as people will call the Chamber instead of the county, then the county's told they're not on time," Olens said. "We've just had constant issues of confusion. I know of times when the state economic department has been absolutely furious with us. Their project managers choose (property) sites that are then forwarded to companies for consideration. Are they going to offer up the sites in counties where the communication process is best or the most difficult? My concern was that we could be losing out on being a part of the final decision. There is no conspiracy, and still, nothing has been decided."
Lee and Olens said Chamber officials agreed to look into their requests and that the Chamber is doing its due diligence.
Hankerson said he believed Lee was on board with the outsourcing all along, but now Lee said he has not made any firm decisions.
Lee said when he was on the CCCVB board, he talked with Garcia about the potential benefits of moving the CCCVB to the Chamber too.
It was also learned Friday that apparently Garcia appointed Connell, who drafted the proposed outsourcing agreement, to head a committee of economic development, tourism and business leaders to study whether the CCCVB should be outsourced as well.
Viewed as the interim step, the Cobb County Exhibit Hall & Authority voted 6-1 on March 24 to "temporarily accept" the Chamber's No. 2 executive, Holly Bass, as the "loaned executive" from the Chamber.
On Tuesday, Ott and Thompson directed Hankerson to give them an update on the status of what, if anything, has been done to look into a possible outsourcing of the economic development department to the Chamber. Hankerson said he would present an update to the board at its June 8 meeting.
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As the cliche goes, "friends come and go but enemies accumulate". Its funny but true. Many people have been paying attention and Lee has a nearly 8 year track record.
To say that he has the best interests of the whole county at heart and that he is just naive probably reflects the strength of friendship between Lee and "2 sides".
It just doesn't describe the Tim Lee we have observed over the past 7.5 years.
It is truly time for a change.
Go Helen